Brittle
by CherLnIDA
Summary: (Based off my headcanon AU) "Jeez, fanboy..." Dib faintly recalled a misunderstanding that's nagged him for years about these weird incidents about a possible another him, but it comes full circle when it can't be ignored anymore. (horror short story)


Brittle

By Cherilyn Ohlau

Invader Zim is owned by Jhonen Vasquez and Nickelodeon

Warning: Dark and disturbing content; this is an AU

"_I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"_

― _Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland_

Dib remembered the horrible misunderstanding during Halloween, but he didn't think that the Crazy House for Boys, and the guard from his father's studio when he battled for a permission signature were connected by a thin invisible thread. What started as just seeing something vaguely resembling his shadow from the corner of his eye, was now becoming more of a mirror. Dib had grown into Middle School, fresh off fifteen, and he was still heavily accused for an overactive imagination; even his father just took his talk of seeing a dopplegänger at a stride. It was pretty common to have lookalikes in the world, out of sheer coincidence, it's the logical and scientific conclusion was what Dib could decipher from his father's long winded lectures. Dib reluctantly agreed, even if he didn't believe it.

Dopplegängers are considered omens or wraiths, the paranormal entities who resemble their targets to bring misfortune, in contrast to skinwalkers; but in some cases, Dib could remember, skinwalkers would also look like a loved one. Gah, Dib only wished he had more time to study this.

There was one point of research that troubled Dib, the story of Emilie Sagee, she was a teacher born from Dijon, France who had taken her career to teach in the prestigious Pensionat von Neuwelcke, an elite girls school in Latvia; her double was a carbon copy, it acted like Emilie, it resembled her, and sounded like her. The teachers and students could see the double act as if Emilie was still there, but Emilie herself was oblivious to it. The documents about it were made by Robert Owen in 1860, an American writer, who heard the story from Julie von Güldenstubbe; Julie attended Pensionat von Neuwelcke as a girl. What stopped this double was odd by itself, the concerned parents stopped bringing their girls to school out of fear; and Emilie was fired, her dopplegänger disappeared after.

It's one of the most famous documented cases of such phenomenon, but Dib had a hard time comprehending what _he_ should do about his own double. Dib loved para-science, the paranormal, supernatural, and things that peaked his otherworldly fancy, it wasn't just as simple as throwing away old journals; he'd have rid of his only personal interest.

**Swollen Eyeball Paranormal Forums & FAQ**

_Spiritual dopplegangers, spirit doubles?_

_by Moth_Man_

_Can anyone explain in specific detail the consequences of seeing your _**double**_? I have read online on what documents I can dig up, but despite the similarities, the demise and misfortune isn't consistent…_

_Can you stop a doppleganger by, you know, dropping what you like? In German folklore, seeing your other means either a warning or death; yet in a scientific standpoint, it's just a weird out of body experience._

_I am merely doing this for research purposes, so cited resources and or phone numbers of reliable archives will be appreciated._

_AgentBatFlaps_

_What's wrong, did you get scared by your mirror? _

_ΔCropCircleChildΔ_

_Moth, are you, fr seeing another you? Is this why you popped up a thread this week? I thought you were busy, like... ...going after bigfeets or cursed teacup sets? _

_If this is a mental phenomenon, you best get looked at; having a doppleganger that's not some sort of coincidental life twin is bad news._

_Whatever you do, don't look at it. _

_AgentBatFlaps_

_Pfft STFU CropWench _

_ΔCropCircleChildΔ_

_(¬_¬) Get fucked, flaps, you turd _

Nothing else came up from the thread, Dib felt deflated and frustrated but he had to remember the warning he was given, no matter the temptation, it was best not to see your spiritual dopplegänger. How far could seeing your dopplegängers go, was it safe through a photo, or film? Dib felt his need for recognition slither into his concerns. It was always his Achilles Heel, and Dib was oblivious to it like Emilie Sagee. Dib nearly fell off his chair when his phone rang and he fumbled to get the receiver, when he answered, Zim was livid, "What's the big idea, Dib beast?!" Zim hollered over the line, "It is not April Fools or Halloween! You think you got Zim by scaring me like that?! I have lasers, and exploding peanuts!"

Dib rubbed his forehead, feeling drained, "I haven't been to your base all day—"

"_What?! _That's a big dirty lie!" Zim shouted, "You were here this morning standing across my from my front door like a stalker."

Dib felt his blood go cold, "At what time? Was it 3 or 4 in the morning—Uh, the witching hour?"

"Zim has no knowledge of these witching hours that you speak of, Dib!" Ugh, of course he doesn't, Dib thought, he's not even into Halloween or supernatural stuff like I am,"You were at the crack of dawn at 6; then you came again this afternoon. I got my lasers and gnomes on you Dib th—!"

"Zim! Put up a freaking barrier, or defense shield, or some crap like that!" Dib snapped, "That's not me, I swear! I don't want to scare you but think about this...how can I talk to you if I'm out there?" Perhaps this could be a skinwalker, but Dib kept telling himself it had to be a double, Zim might have had the equipment and guns, but skinwalkers don't go down easy; in folklore it was best to avoid them, don't trust a skinwalker, they were lying predators who took glee in luring their host with being a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Zim, whatever you do...don't go outside...it might sound like me, but it's not me…" Dib warned under his breath, "It...i-it might be a skinwalker impersonating me."

"What on _Irk _is a skinwalker?!"

"Zim! I don't have time for explanations! Just don't open that door!"

"Like as if I would…" Zim scoffed.

Dib was panicking underneath his calm demeanor, not knowing if it was such a creature, or his dopplegänger made him lean against thin ice; at least Zim was so absorbed in his scheming he didn't have the mindset in an attempt to try to use the skinwalker...at least Dib hoped it wasn't one. "Uh…" Dib's mouth hung open, trying to speak what was coming to mind.

"What?"

"T-try shooting at it…"

"Seriously?!" Zim exclaimed in surprise, a burst of enthusiasm on the other line, "Now we're talking!" Dib could hear the blast of lasers and rays even from the phone from across the neighborhood as if he was in a movie theater watching a science fiction film put on blast, "Oh, uh, wow...how did I miss?"

Screw it! Dib screamed to himself mentally, double or not, this could only destroy his reputation way beyond the pit it dug. Dib had no remote weapons except for a ceremony dagger he found at the cheap spell shop. It was fake but it was sharp. It was sharp enough to puncture skin and bone and that's what mattered. Dib ran to Zim's base like he was running laps in school, ignoring his leg pain as he swept through the blocks before he slumped over; he let out soft gasps of air and finally felt the soreness bloom. Dib's eyes widened at seeing himself from the back, banging the door, only one difference; it was like Dib had shrank back to twelve, the same boots, trench coat and face shirt.

_Dib had asked the guard the next day after his flimsy presentation at the Swollen Eyeball meeting. He asked why the guard, nor his father, didn't want to accept that _he _was _he. _Dib could remember the embarrassing blanche of misunderstanding; at first the guard was reluctant to explain himself until Dib gave his side, and his question to who this fanboy was. "He looked so much like you and didn't stop bothering us!" the guard yelled, "It went from 'can I get in' to throwing eggs at us, to kicking garbage cans over. We zapped him so hard that he kept coming back!" _

_Dib had also hacked into the House for Crazy Boys website during Halloween rather amazed that he wasn't forced back inside after breaking out due to his world flipping; but he found papers, documentary and photography as if he was still wrapped in white belts. _

Dib had returned to his computer after going to Zim's base, he clutched his head as he slowly typed out;

_Hey, CropCircleChild, what happens if you...destroy your dopplegänger?_

They replied: _You destroy half yourself._

End


End file.
